Cattywampus
Definition
Adjective
1. Askew off-kilter.
2. In disarray
3. Not functioning correctly.
4. Positioned diagonally.
5. Going badly, awkwardly, or in the wrong direction.
5. An imaginary, fierce wild animal.
[1] My attempts at parallel parking tend to be a bit cattywampus.
[3] When the storm came, the television picture went all cattywampus.
Word Origin
Although the origin is uncertain, it may come from the Greek prefix kata (downward, toward) + Scots word wampish (to wriggle or twist)
The word “catawampus” was first used in the U.S. around 1834 as an adverb meaning completely, utterly, avidly. It first appeared as a noun in the 1840s, both in Dicken’s Martin Chuzzlewit and in various American works.
May also be spelled catawampus or kittywampus
Synonyms
askew, crooked, awry, lopsided, slanted, off-center, diagonally
Antonyms
straight, on-center, unbent, untwisted
